At intake, an initial assessment will typically take two to six weeks and will be completed by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA).  Our BCBAs are familiar with a variety of assessments to evaluate communication, social, adaptive and motor skills, as well as functions of behavior, in order to generate developmentally appropriate goals.   

Parent interviews allow for variables such as a family culture, parental concerns, and daily routines to be considered when developing individualized behavioral treatment for a specific child. 

Once the assessment report is completed, the family will be provided with a treatment plan consisting of findings, goals, and treatment recommendations. The Lovaas Model uses a flowcharting technique to guide a child’s behavioral treatment; the flowchart depicts progression of programming, moving from prerequisite skills to more complex skills.  Assessments will continuously be updated as the child makes progress toward treatment goals.

Each child is remarkably different in many ways. As a result, individualization of the program is a priority at intake and daily throughout treatment in order to make maximal progress. 

In order to help our clients progress in a variety of environments, services can also be implemented in the school and community upon approval from a funder.

Treatment sessions have been conducted at the park in order to develop social skills, at the grocery store to improve participation in family activities, or at restaurants to teach functional meal time behavior.

The treatment team consists of a clinical supervisor who designs your child’s program and behavior therapists who implement recommended teaching strategies and interventions.  

We recommend having multiple behavior therapists, 2-4, on each team to promote generalization. Parents are also integral team members as they carry treatment over to other teachable moments throughout the day. Our clinical staff take pride in the rapport they build with their clients and the partnership they create with their clients’ families. 

Clinical supervisors are provided oversight and support by the Clinical Directors and Clinical Director who supervise the clinical team.

Your clinical supervisor will work with you and the assigned behavior therapists to create a collaborative treatment implementation team.  Desired behaviors are maximized through child-specific reinforcement while problem behaviors are reduced by teaching alternate, effective forms of communicating the same needs. 

Reinforcers are varied and come in many forms. They are individualized to incorporate child interests and preferences. They are intended to enhance the child’s therapy experience and create a sense of fun and interest.

Intervention is focused on building skills that will help each child succeed to the best of their ability including communicating their wants and needs, playing in meaningful and enjoyable ways, building relationships, and developing independence.

Parents and caregivers are encouraged to participate to the highest extent possible by observing treatment sessions, sharing observations, participating in therapy activities, and asking questions. Coaching opportunities allow parents to actively participate by learning and implementing helpful strategies throughout the day to extend their child’s learning. At times, siblings may be invited to participate in activities in order to promote the transfer of skills to interactions with all family members.

Your child’s progress is closely monitored through data analysis and evaluation by not only the clinical supervisor, but also lead behavior therapists. Ongoing training of parents and staff also contributes to effective treatment. Communication and collaboration between all team members is an essential element of success.

The clinical team consists of Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) who are Master’s level clinicians and are trained in assessment procedures, skill flowcharting, behavior intervention design, as well as staff training and parent coaching.

Lovaas Institute staff receive a high level of initial and ongoing training to ensure they are well prepared for their very important job of supporting and teaching their clients. With sufficient training, we believe that the procedures we employ can be mastered by most people. Some important characteristics we look for when recruiting staff are dependability, enthusiasm, and a willingness to learn.  Upon hiring, our technicians immediately begin working towards their Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) credential.